TPN’s No Sleep Soundtrack

Staying up until the wee hours of morning and studying is not fun — and doing so in silence is even worse.

During hours-long study sessions, iTunes libraries and Spotify are crucial in preventing your brain from just shutting down and falling asleep at your desk.

Here’s 10 songs that will help you get through the worst week of the year.

“WAKE UP”— ARCADE FIRE

This is an on-the-nose selection for an on-the-nose list. This indie rock anthem’s call to stay woke is more figurative in nature, but the lush instrumentation and driving chorus should hold your eyes open.

“CLOSE YOUR EYES (AND COUNT TO F***)” — RUN THE JEWELS

Not only does this song have the greatest title in the history of rap, but it’s also perfect for marathon study sessions. Killer Mike using a lyric containing the phrase “oodles of noodles” is more caffeinating than a Five Hour Energy. Basically any Run The Jewels song would be sufficient, but this hard-hitting track takes the cake.

“ULTRALIGHT BEAM” — KANYE WEST

Sometimes to stay up late at night, you need loud, blaring guitars and a guy with long hair screaming at the top of his lungs. Other times, you need a prayer. Let Yeezy and an at-his-peak Chance the Rapper settle your nerves while writing that 10-page paper.

“CITY ON THE HILL” — DESAPARECIDOS

This song falls into the “loud blaring guitar” category, as Conor Oberst, the frontman of the now-defunct band Bright Eyes, jams with a big, vibrating riff on his punk rock band’s 2015 single. It’s a gradual jolt that builds and speeds — a perfect choice to re-energize even the most tired of brains.

“CARRY THE ZERO” — BUILT TO SPILL

This is a selection for math majors everywhere. When the haze of late nights cause you to forget how to spell your own name, let lead singer Doug Martsch remind you how to do basic long division. Because that’s definitely a thing college math courses still require you to do by hand, right? (DISCLAIMER: I have never taken a college math course).

“MIDNIGHT CITY” — M83

The opening noises of this electronic hit kind of sounds like a synthesized iPhone alarm but in the best way possible. This is a song that will make you think everything is going to be just fine, even if you’ve only read one chapter for a cumulative final.

“DREAM HOUSE” — DEAFHEAVEN

I’ll make this abundantly clear. I really, really, really do not like Deafheaven. The metal band’s screaming is entirely unappealing and off-putting to me. All that being said, sometimes a punch in the face is necessary to stay up, and this band’s music is certainly that in terms of aggression. Believe it or not, “Dream House” is their least offensive track.

“WILDERNESS” — EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

Explosions in the Sky is the best studying music, bar none. And while the group has better songs, particularly on “The World Is Not A Cold Dead Place,” this song might be, for lack of a better term, its most explosive. “Wilderness” is a crescendo from a trickle to a flood of ambient and instrumental sound — a great soundtrack to keep students focused.

“BORN TO RUN” — BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

There might not be a song as motivating than The Boss’ classic hit. It works for everything from jogging to cleaning your house to grocery shopping. So, of course, it would work as an antidote for finals week exhaustion.

“SEQUOIA THRONE” — PROTEST THE HERO

My roommate made me put this one on the list. Just listen to it. It’ll keep you awake, so I’m told.